Mine-car coupler



Feb. 12 1 924. 1,483,628

- C. W. LAUBY mm: cm COUPLER Filed Nov. 6, 1922 3Shees$h9e't 2 /Zziarle.r MLaiv/Z Feb. 12 1924.

. C. W. LAUBY MINE CAR COUPLER Filed Nov. 6, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 1 Y L 7 ('Mrles W Lazzl y,

] 5 z s I g Patented Feb. 12, m4.

UN l'T ED .5.

TE S

PATENT orFicE...

CHARLES w. LAUBY, or VINGENNES, INDIANA.

MINE CAR" COUPLER.

Application filed November 6, 1922.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known' that I, CHARLEslV. LAUBY, a

citizen of the United States of America, andresrdent Of Vincennea KnoX' County, State.-

of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mine-Car' Coup lers, of which the following is a specification.

This. invention relatesto certain improvements in mine car couplers; and the objects and nature of the inventionwill be readily understood by those skilled in the illi'wlllibllfl:

light of the following. explanations of the accompanying drawings illustrating. what- I now believeto be the preferred mechanical expression or embodiment of the invention,

combinations as more fully and particularly set forth and specified hereinafter.

Referring to the accompanying drawings formingpart hereof Fig. 1 is a top plan view of one end bumper of a mine car, provided with mechanismwhereby a coupling link is joined thereto and carried thereby, dotted lines indicating certain hidden parts.

Fig; 2 is a front end View of the bumper of F ig. 1.

, Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section of the head of Fig. 1, dotted lines showing-the draw bar and coupling pin in various positions.

Fig. 4 is atop plan View of the bumper atthe other end of the car, said bumper carry ing adog for cooperating with the coupling link of the bumperlof Fig. 1) of an adjacent car for coupling. and uncoupling sald cars.

Fig. 5 is a front'elevation'of the bumper of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6'is a longitudinal vertical section of the bumper of Fig: 4', showing the dog in operative position'locking' a coupling link,

dotted linesshowing the dog'in elevated uncoupling position.

Serial no. 599,237.

The bumper 1 isequipped with the dog 3 for coupling thereto, the coupling link 4 carried by the opposite bumper 20f anad-jacent mine car.

The bumpers 1, 2, are usually arranged at opposite ends of a mine car and areseeured thereto in the usual or any other suitable manner.

These bumpers in reality constitute hollow coupling; heads, and the-bumper 1 providesan internal longitudinal socket 1* that opens" at its large outer end through the frontor outer face of thebump'er and tapers oricon tracts rearwardly' longitudinally of and within the bumper to provide incl'i-ned or' rearwardly converging opposite edgeand top and bottom faces to guide and centerthefree end of the-coupling link as it moves into the socket during thecoupling opera-- tion and to permit lateral play of the -cou-' pling link in the socket when locked b'y'the dog.

The link locking dog 3 is arranged ,cen-- trally and longitudinally of the" bumper l,

in a longitudinal central vertical slot through: the topwall of the bumper and opening through the front face of the bumper and extending longitudinallyofthe "86 ;the bumper approximately throughout the bumper to open into the socket 1 of length of said socket.

This dog is in'the formof alongitudinally elongated block arranged vertically or on:

edge, and having rearward'ly "diverging; top; and bottom longitudinal edges so tha t th'ei dog is of an approximate forwardly con tracting or triangular. form;

The dog is pivoted or fulcrumediat its small or front end to'swingvertically' on av transverse. axis 3 1 arranged above the: front 1 end of the link receiving: socket. of the bumper. This aXisc-anrbe formed by-aztra'nsverse horlzontal plvot p111 orshaft'secured in the-top wallnofi. the bump'eri'a 'distanceabove the socket 1 andextending'ithrough' a transverse bearingliole in the front end portion of the dog that is located in the aforementioned slot.

The dog is arranged to drop by'gravity through the interiorsor socket of the bumper;

with its lower rear end oricornerfi fitting down in a socket' OL dBPI'BSSIOH 1' 1n the floor of "the small inner? (rear) end Iof'the':

rearwardly contracting? socket" 1" of the";

bumper, andwith its free rear edge 3- curv ing upwardly and forwardly from the floor Q couple the cars.

of the socket 1 to the roofor top wall thereof. VVhen the dog is at its limit of downward position extending centrally and longitudinally across the hollow interior (socket 1 of the bumper and resting on the floor thereof, the lower longitudinal edge 3 of the dog inclines forwardly and upwardly from the floor of the bumper interior to the roof thereof along the longitudinal center of said interior. The dog is then in coupling-lin tocking position, and there is room within the bumper at the side faces of the dog and to the rear of its free edge 3, toreceive the side bars and inner cross end of the coupling. link so that the dog extends down through the link and the rear edge 3 receives the pulling stress of the link. The curve or inclination of the edge 8 is such that the pull of the link thereon tends to depress the dog and hence this stress is not sustained by the dog axis 3 but is transmitted to and is sustained by the lower rear cornercor nose 3 abutting the floor of socket 1 and possibly to some extent by the downwardly facing side shoulders 3 of the upper end of the dog above the bumper, resting against the top rounded surfaces 1. of the head at both sides of the dog and above the axis 3.

When the dog is thus resting by gravity in its coupling or lowered position, it is ready to receive the coupling link of the next car whenthe cars are brought together and automatically lock the same to The cars are brought together with the coupling link t projecting horizontally forwardly from its bumper 2, and the tapered socket 1 of bumper 1 receives the free end of the link and the front end of the link engages the inclined edge 3* of the dog so that the continued longitudinal movement of the link into bumper 1 causes the link to elevate the dog until it rides over the end of the link and drops to locking position in the open center of the link, thereby automatically locking the link to and in bumper 1.

A suitable uncoupling mechanism can be provided for lifting the dog 3 to release the link andpermit separation of the cars, and in this connection it will be noted, that the location of the dog axis and the curvature of the free link-engaging edge of the dog are such, that it is possible to elevate the dog for uncoupling, when there is but slight slack between the cars to be uncoupled, in fact the cars can be uncoupled when there is but a slight fraction of an inch slack between the coupling link and free edge 3 of the dog.

As an example of manually operated uncoupling mechanism that can be employed, I show a rotary and longitudinally slidable uncoupling shaft'G arranged at the car end, about as usual, and having one or more end handles. This shaft is formed or provided with radial lifting arm 6 having a laterally or horizontally arranged free end 6" loosely confined in elongated slot 3 formed longitudinally of a rearward longitudinal extension 3 of the upper rear corner of the dog that is always located above the bumper 1.

The arrangement is such that rotation of the shaft 6 by a man located beside the track, will elevate the dog to uncoupled position, through the medium of the lifting arm and dog extension. On release of the shaft 6, the dog will automatically drop back to coupling position. The dog can be held in elevated uncoupled position, by moving the shaft longitudinally, until its dog lifting arm 6 rests on a bracket 6 secured on the car end, for this purpose. The'shaft and dog can be released for dropping to normal positions by gravity, by moving the shaft longitudinally until its arm 6 clears the bracket 6. The straight end 6* of the lifting arm is of sutiicient length to permitthis relative longitudinal movement. of the shaft and arm with respect to the dog.

The bumper 2 that carries the coupling link 4 is longitudinally hollow to provide an elongated chamber 2* open at the front or outer end of the bumper and horizontally or laterally flaring or enlarging towards its large open outer end. The top and bottom walls of the bumper 2 preferably provide this chamber with fiat top and bot-tom walls while the edge walls of the bumper provide this chamber with the forwardly diverging longitudinal vertical edge walls.

"Within this chamber of the bumper, I longitudinally arrange an elongated laterally swingable draw head 7 that is slidable horizontally on the floor of the chamber as the head swings laterally within the bumper on the vertical axis 8 as a center. This vertical axis 8 consists of a vertical shaft, strong pin or post fixed or otherwise secured in the rear portion or shank of the bumper, and extending centrally through a vertical bearing hole in the rear end portion of the draw head 7 and thereby coupling said draw head to the bumper and transmitting the draft thereto. In its normal position, the draw head extends along the longitudinal center of the bumper, midway between the edge walls of the bumper, and this head is relatively narrow in width to permit horizontal swing within the bumper on the axis 8.

The draw head 7 carries a relatively-movable longitudinal draw bar 9 to which the coupling link i is permanently and loosely confined, and said head is longitudinally hollow to receive certain spring and other thereof. v

The expansion-spring 11 is particularly intended to control the coupling link 4 when devices whereby said drawbar is coupled to the head and controlled.

The front end of the draw head extends Thedraw bar isarranged longitudinally of and within the draw head along the longitudinal center thereof and extends to" and beyond the outer end of saidhead and is there formed or provided with a vertical.

eye or loop 9, having a horizontal axis,

loosely surrounding the rear closed endv ofthe coupling link l and thereby-coupling said link to the draw bar, in such manner' that the link can swing'verticallya on the;

axis of said eye 9 as a center.

The .draw bar is longitudinallymovable within and with respect to the head, andiatv its rear end, within the head, is pivotally coupled to a slidable stop head or block 10,

by a transverse or horizontal axis or pin 10 passing through an eye 9 at the rear end of the bar. The eye 9 extends into a vertical slot in said block, so that the bar is held against relative lateral swing but is free to swing vertically on said axis 10.

The draw bar is coupled to. the draw'head to transmit the haulagestrains and stresses thereto, through the medium of said block and an opposing internal shoulderor abut ment 7 of the draw head opposing said block and adapted to be engaged by the front or outer end of said block, and also through the medium. of longitudinally-arranged coiled expansion spring 11 coupled at its front or outer end to the rear of said block by a pull connection 10", and at itsv rear or inner end having pull connection'to a longitudinally arranged compression or' coiled cushioning spring 13 loosely surrounding the rear portion ofthe draw bar and compressed between the front or outer end of block 10 and a rearwardly or inwardly facing internal seat or abutment? of. the draw head.

The arrangement is'such that thesprings. 11, 13, act together in resisting haulage 7 thereby transmitting the haulage strain directly tothe draw head, and protecting spring 13 and preventing over compression 18 and expanding spring 11, until the blockabuts abutment uncoupled and the spring: 13'is not under compression. This spring 11 is particularly intended to yieldingly hold the draw bar and coupling link in position for coupling, i. e., inla forwardly-projectinghorizontal position, to enter the opposing bumper, as the cars approach each other, and engage the locking dog: within the opposing bumper" and operate the same to automatically couple the two cars together.

To this end, a transversely-arranged socks et o-r depression 7 is formed in the otherwise vertical outer end face of the draw headto receive the end of the coupling link when said link is in a, horizontal position for coupling and-held clamped in such socket by the draw bar underth'e pullingpower ofthe expanded spring 11. The coupling link when in this coupling position, is free to be swung vertically either to upstanding position .or to depending position, by the application of the necessary force.

This is of particular advantage where the link is left in this position after an uncoupling operation, forif the link strikes any object, the link can swingivertically to avoid injury. Where mine cars are carried by a cagev up or .down a mine shaft, a more or less fixed horizontally projecting coupling link'is an objection, asit reduces the maximumlength of the car that can be carried by the cage. here a car is equipped with my invention, a car of'maximum length can be carried, for the link if horizontally projecting beyond the cage, will swing vertically on striking the wall or otherpart of the shaft beside the cage;

In the particular example of my invention illustrated, the outer or front end of the draw bar is held against relative lateral or horizontal swing within the draw headby the vertical walls of a central longitudinal bore 7 g through which the draw bar extends and in which it is vertically swingable within limits. Theouter end of this bore '7' centrally intersects the link receiving socket 7 i. c. said bore opens through the center of the length of Tsaidsocket. The vertical width of the bore 7 preferably exceeds the vertical diameter of the front end eye 9 of the draw bar so that said eye can be fully or partially withdrawn into said bore by the retracting pull or tension of the spring 11. The lower portion of the front end of the draw head is formed with an open bottom recess 7*, thatis overhung'by the upper portionofthe front end of said head in. which socket7" is formed, and the lower front portion of the bore 7 opens into the upper part of recess 7*, The front end of the'draw head overhangs the bottom wall of thebumper, i. e. projects outwardly beyond the floor of the bumper 1 of the bore 7 bar rests on the floor of the bore 7 with its eye 9 Withdrawn into the bore and located in the upper portion of recess 7?, with the link hanging therefrom.

In fact, the normal position of the draw bar, when the cars are uncoupled, is as just described, i. e. resting on the floor of the bore 7 with its eye 9 withdrawn into the draw head.

When the cars are coupled together and under haulage strain, the draw bar is withdrawn until slide block 10 abuts shoulder 7 and consequently the draw bar eye 9 is withdrawn from and located outwardly beyond the draw head and the draw bar is free to swing vertical between the limits established by the top and bottom walls When the cars are to be coupled, the link L is pulled outwardly with sufiicient force to project the draw bar until it can swing upwardly with its eye 9 abutting the overhanging top wall of bore 7 g and the link end located opposite socket 7 and the link projecting forwardly in position to enter the opposing bumper 1 when the cars are brought together. The spring 11 will then be under the necessary tension to hold the link in this coupling position when the link end is clamped into the socket by the eye 9.

It will be noted, that the device does not present a projecting draw bar when the cars are uncoupled, and also that the draw head is free to swing laterally within the bumper, also that the arrangements and constructions are such that cars can be coupled together on curves, and also that it is not necessary to provide means to lock the coupling dog in coupling position and that the uncoupling devices do not interfere with vertical movements of said dog, when said devices are not held in uncoupled position.

It is evident that various changes, modifications and variations might be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention and hence I do not wish to limit myself to the exact disclosures hereof.

What I claim is 1. Coupling mechanism for cars embodying a bumper, a draw head carried thereby and arranged longitudinally thereof and laterally swingable with respect thereto, and a coupling draw bar arranged longitudinally of said head and carried thereby and vertically swingable with respect thereto.

2. Coupling mechanism for cars,-comprising a laterally-swingable draw head, and a draw bar coupled to and arranged longitudinally of said head and swingable vertically with respect thereto and arranged to swing laterally with said head, said bar at its front provided with car coupling means loosely confined thereto.

3. Coupling mechanism for cars, comprising a hollow bumper open at its outer end, a draw head arranged longitudinally of said bumper and pivotally joined thereto to swing laterally thereof and transmit the haulage strains thereto, and a coupling draw bar arranged longitudinally of said head and coupled to transmit the haulage strains thereto, said bar being swingable vertically with respect to said head and arranged therein to swing laterally with said head.

4. Coupling mechanism for cars, comprising a draw head provided with a draw bar at its front end having a car coupling link loosely coupled thereto, said bar being longitudinally arranged and vertically swingable within the head and having cushioning spring connection therewith, and a hollow bumper receiving said draw head, said head being swingable within said bumper.

5. Coupling mechanism for cars, comprising a draw bar at its front end havin an eye and a car coupling link loosely confined to said bar by said eye, a spring device acting longitudinally on said bar, and means against which said eye under the power of said device is arranged to clamp said link and hold the same in forwardly projected position for coupling, said link being vertically swingable when thus held.

6. Car coupling mechanism, comprising a longitudinally movable vertically swingable draw bar having a car coupling link confined to its front end to swing vertically with respect to the draw bar, and means whereby said link when uncoupled from an opposing car can be held clamped by the bar in forwardly projecting position for coupling, and whereby said link when thus held can be swung vertically to a vertical position out of the way.

7. Car coupling mechanism, comprising means to receive the draft and transmit the same to the car, a relatively-swingable draw bar at its front end provided with a coupling element pivotally coupled thereto, said bar being connected to said means to transmit the draft thereto, said connection between the bar and said means embodying a cushioning compression spring, and an expansion spring, said springs both acting to pull said bar rearwardly, and opposing abutments that are brought to engagement to positively transmit the draft from the draw bar to said first mentioned means.

8. Car coupling mechanism, comprising a draw head having an abutment, a draw bar longitudinally movable with respect to and arranged in the draw head and provided with a slide block arranged opposite and adapted to abut said abutment, an expansion spring acting on the draw bar and block to normally separate the block and abutment, and a coupling link loosely confined to the front end of the draw bar, said bar being vertically swingable with respect to said block and pivotally coupled thereto to transmit the haulage strains to the head through said block.

9. A hollow bumper, in combination with a draw head longitudinally arranged in the bumper and at its rear portion coupled to the bumper to swing laterally therein, and a draw bar arranged longitudinally of the draw head and vertically swingable and longitudinally movable therein and at its front end having a transverse eye provided with a car coupling link and by which the link is pivotallyconfined to the draw bar, the draw bar being spring actuated longitudinally to clamp the end of the link against the front end of the draw head to hold the link in forwardly projecting position for coupling in such manner that the link is swingable vertically.

10. Car coupling mechanism embodying a draw head swingable laterally, a draw bar carried by the head and longitudinally movable therein and swingable vertically with respect thereto, said head its front end provided with a depression to receive the end of a coupling link and otherwise formed so that the link can hang vertically from the front end of the draw bar, said draw bar being formed at its front end with a transverse eye and provided with a coupling link pivotally joined to the bar through the medium of the said eye, and spring means normally acting on the draw bar in a direction to withdraw the eye into the outer end of the head.

11. Car coupling mechanism, comprising a draw head slotted and recessed at its front end, and a spring-pulled draw bar carried by and longitudinally movable and vertically swingable with respect to the draw head and at its front end having a car coupling link pivotally joined thereto and adapted to be clamped thereby against the front end of the draw head in a forwardly projecting position, and to swing vertically to an upright position or to depend therefrom in a vertical position.

Signed at Vincennes, Indiana, this 30th day of October, 1922.

CHARLES W. LAUBY. 

